American Bankers Association Foundation

ABA Foundation helps bankers make their communities better through financial education. The Foundation holds two banker-driven, youth financial education programs, Teach Children to Save and Get Smart About Credit, and also hosts the annual Lights, Camera, Save! video contest.

Through these national programs, the Foundation has helped a grassroots network of 222,500 dedicated banker volunteers teach personal finance skills to more than 9.1 million children, teens and young adults. Bankers have been engaged in financial education efforts with ABA’s Foundation since 1925.

Teach Children to Save raises awareness about the important role that banks and bankers play in helping young people develop lifelong savings habits. Bankers trade in their balance sheets for blackboards and teach students personal finance skills through activities, interactive scenarios and sharing real-life experiences. The lessons cover the basics of saving, how interest makes money grow, how to create a budget and how to distinguish needs from wants.

TCTS has reached 7.5 million young people throughout the U.S. and its territories, thanks to the nearly 180,000 participating bankers. Teach Children to Save is celebrated throughout the calendar year, with the annual day on a designed Friday during Financial Literacy Month.

Lights, Camera, Save! is a video contest that encourages young people to use the power of video to communicate to peers and others the value of wise saving and spending habits. Students may enter the Lights, Camera, Save! contest each October and November by submitting up to a 90 second video to a local participating bank.

Get Smart About Credit helps bankers teach young adults the ABCs of wise credit use. Bankers go into classrooms, connect with youth groups and visit college campuses to help young people learn how to budget, use credit responsibly and build a positive payment history. Get Smart About Credit can take place at any time during the calendar year, with the annual day held on the third Thursday in October.